Renewed Investigation into Berrow Wood School

When Silence Breaks: Renewed Investigation into Berrow Wood School

West Mercia Police are carrying out a new investigation into abuse at Berrow Wood School, concerning  new allegations being made against more than a dozen former members of staff at the school.

It was initially believed that justice had been served when nine former members of staff and workers at the school were previously convicted of physical and sexual abuse carried out between 1968 and 1991.  However, the harrowing story is ongoing in light of the new allegations.

Berrow Wood School located in Worcestershire was set up in 1966 as a residential school for boys aged 10 to 18, who were deemed “maladjusted”.  Many of the boys had  learning difficulties or behavioural needs,  were entrusted to the care of adults who failed them.

Reform schools were in place to support vulnerable children, but many were betrayed and abused. Hundreds of boys being sent to Berrow Wood School by local authorities across England were left with lasting trauma.

It is reported that a culture of silence prevailed throughout the operation of the school, as abuse by staff and workers became systemic.

Many of the boys who attended the school were beaten and sexually abused, with the boys being referred to by their laundry numbers as opposed to their names, and  survivors reporting they can still remember their laundry numbers decades later.

The most significant sentences were handed out in October 2023, as two ex-housefathers, Maurice Lambell and Keith Figes were convicted for a series of abhorrent crimes committed at the school in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Lambell who initially evaded sentencing was jailed for 25 years, with Figes receiving a 27-year prison sentence for carrying out a relentless “campaign of rape” against boys under their watch. 

The convictions of staff and workers at the school including Lambell and Figes were long-overdue, but their convictions only covered part of a deeply entrenched system of abuse. 

More survivors of abuse at the school are finally able to speak out about the abuse they suffered, prompting a further investigation, with the reported abuse spanning nearly the entire timeline of the school’s existence.

The impact of institutional abuse is often hidden, but when survivors summon the courage to speak out, they can end decades of silence and begin to take control of their life and get the justice they deserve.

Buckinghamshire Council’s Deputy Cabinet Member for Education & Children’s Services commented to the BBC, “These horrific, historic experiences shared by children at Berrow Wood School, serve as a powerful reminder of the need to continually review and strengthen safeguarding practices to ensure that any concerns raised are addressed in a timely and appropriate was”.

The abuse at Berrow Wood School stands as a chilling reminder of how institutions can fail the children they are meant to protect, underscoring the urgent need for robust safeguarding practices, vigilance and an unwavering commitment to believing those who speak out.

Survivors of abuse at Berrow Wood School who have not yet come forward are urged to finally speak out and contact West Mercia Police.